Dell (DELL) is a disaster. Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) is expected to report a massive round of layoffs and more disappointing financial results after the bell. The PC is quickly becoming irrelevant in the eyes of investors as tablet mania rules the land.

So why is Microsoft's (MSFT) stock up nearly 15% year-to-date, making it the fifth best performer in the Dow Jones industrial average? A lot is riding on Microsoft's upcoming MORE